Not every branch of a family tree bears fruit, but a lack of progeny doesn't usually stop me from researching a lineage. While not everyone has children, we all have parents, even if they are unknown.

In the case of George W. Childs (1829-1894), millionaire publisher of the Philadelphia Public Ledger and founder of Childs Park in Dingmans Ferry, I found a lot of information about his life, but nothing about his bloodline.

Apprentice afloat

George William Childs was born in Baltimore, Md., on May 12, 1829. His parents are not identified by name, but biographical sketches hint that he was poor and orphaned at an early age.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 13. The Apprentice Act, in effect from 1837 to 1843, made it lawful for the Navy to enlist boys ages 13 to 18.

After 15 months, young Childs decided he "didn't like it," as told in his autobiography, "Recollections."

However, Lt. William D. Porter, his superior, apparently sent a letter of praise about the boy's service to the aunt who reportedly raised him. The letter appeared in The Cyclopedia of American Biography (1918), by James Homans. The aunt is unnamed in the entry.

His enlistment would have required consent from his guardian, so I sent to the National Archives and Records Administration for his military file. I was hoping the name of his aunt would be listed, but no file was found.

Namesakes

George and his wife, Emma Bouvier Peterson, had no children, but in searching for his family online, the famous name of George W. Childs appeared repeatedly with unexpected results.

His godson, the son of his closest friend, Anthony J. Drexel, was named George W. Childs Drexel. Other namesakes included a school in Philadelphia; a tug boat in service from 1874 to 1901; a glacier in Greenland; and a damaged Liberty Ship — deliberately sunk on June 8, 1944, as part of the plans for the Normandy Invasion.

Smokescreen

After his death, a brand of cigars called George W. Childs were sold in a decorative box showing a man seated at a desk supposedly in an office at the Public Ledger. The design carefully avoided identifying the image as the philanthropic publisher, even hiding most of the word "Ledger" behind some leafy plants.

According to several accounts, Childs detested tobacco. In his book about his friendship with Ulysses S. Grant, "Recollections of General Grant," 1885, Childs writes, "When he first began coming to my house, much as he liked his cigar, he would not smoke because I didn't."

However, I found two others named George W. Childs, both cigarmakers in the late 1800s — one in Kentucky and the other in Stroudsburg. The Stroudsburg Childs was listed as 20 years old in a marriage record from 1886, with nothing to indicate if he was related to the publisher.

Minsi Pioneers

In 1875, a group called the Minsi Pioneers was organized. These industrious road builders bought uniforms and tools to cut trees, erect bridges, remove boulders and fill holes, in order to make Mount Minsi accessible from all directions. George W. Childs was a member of the Minsi Pioneers and one of its financial backers.

It is likely that the pioneers helped create Childs Arbor, a scenic overlook and refreshment stand with "spectacular views of Eureka Falls and the Moss Grotto" at Delaware Water Gap. It predated Childs Park and was in use as late as 1960, but no longer exists.

George W. Childs purchased the "old Brooks factory property" near Dingmans Ferry in 1892 and created Childs Park, a rural retreat for the enjoyment of the general public.

Although he had no offspring, the many gifts that he left behind continue to stand as his legacy.